Fuel thieves punctured the Tula-Tuxpan pipeline a few miles from one of Mexico's main refineries on Friday. Half a dozen people interviewed by Reuters on Saturday said their relatives went to the leaking duct in Tlahuelilpan district in Hidalgo state because they struggled to find fuel elsewhere and were desperate to fill up cars to get to work or run their farms. Late last month, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador launched a program to shut down an illegal fuel distribution network that siphons off about $3 billion worth of fuel annually from state oil firm Pemex.

A bomb blast hit Damascus on Sunday, in a rare attack in the Syrian capital that has been largely insulated from violence during nearly eight years of war. The explosion came as another bomb in the northern city of Afrin killed three people and wounded nine others, according to a war monitor, on the first anniversary of a Turkish offensive on the Kurdish-majority region. Also on Sunday Israel said it intercepted a rocket fired from Syria after Damascus accused the Jewish state of carrying out air raids on the south of the country.

As you can see, it's a party atmosphere and everyone is just enjoying the spectacle," said Rosalind Von Wendt from Los Angeles. More than 1,500 people gathered at the observatory near the city's famous Hollywood sign to watch the eclipse. Icy roadways rather than cloudy skies were blamed by astronomers for spoiling the festivities.

Google has kicked off 2019 by getting hit with yet another multimillion-dollar fine from a European regulator.
Stemming from an investigation that began in May -- the day after Europe's strict new data privacy rules known as GDPR went into effect -- France's data protection authority has announced a $57 million fine against Google in the first such GDPR penalty levied against a US technology company. In a statement explaining the action, the French agency known as the CNIL noted that the fine is a result of deficiencies that include Google not being clear enough about the way user data is handled to present personalized ads.
The CNIL's statement goes on to note that "the infringements observed deprive the users of essential guarantees regarding processing operations that can reveal important parts of their private life since they are based on a huge amount of data, a wide variety of services and almost unlimited possible combinations." The penalty is also connected to the way the French agency sees Google as not being clear enough in a broad sense about how user data is collected and how it's subsequently used.
Google released a statement saying it hasn't decided yet whether to appeal this punishment, which certainly didn't come as a surprise. Once the General Data Protection Regulation, known as GDPR for short, went into effect in Europe last year, it was regarded as only a matter of time before regulators there would use the stricter privacy framework to push back on tech giants in a way that's not happening in the US.
The CNIL statement goes on to provide context for the fine against Google by noting that "This is the first time that the CNIL applies the new sanction limits provided by the GDPR. The amount decided, and the publicity of the fine, are justified by the severity of the infringements observed regarding the essential principles of the GDPR -- transparency, information and consent."
Google, for its part, acknowledged that "high standards" of transparency and control are expected of the company by the public and that Google is "committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR." The new fine, however, is yet another example of European-led pushback against the search giant, which has also come under fire from EU officials over antitrust concerns.
Along those lines, the EU hit Google with a record-setting $5 billion fine last year for antitrust issues related to its Android mobile operating system.

Women from various political and ideological backgrounds challenged the 2019 Women’s March by marching in protest and organizing alternative rallies near the Washington, D.C. event on Saturday. The third annual Women’s March took place in Freedom Plaza, a more confined space than in years past, suggesting that organizers anticipated smaller crowds after facing allegations of anti-Semitism and defending Nation of Islam’s anti-Semitic leader Louis Farrakhan. Following the development of those controversies, conservative group Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) organized a rally across the street in the name of “all women” at the same time as the Women’s March.

Bloomberg erroneously reported earlier that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesman, George Charamba, dismissed rumors of a palace coup, citing a tweet from the account. Charamba does not have a Twitter account, Regis Chikowore, principal director at the information ministry, said by phone.

BEIJING (AP) — A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves:

The Duke of Edinburgh could be sent on a drivers’ awareness course, it has emerged, as police continue to investigate a crash which left two women hospitalised. The Duke, 97, is understood to have no intention of giving up driving, having been photographed on public roads driving a new car less than 48 hours after the accident. He is understood to be complying with a Norfolk Police investigation, which will see him interviewed about what happened. Two women, aged 45 and 28, will also be asked for their recollections of the accident, after their Kia Carens collided with the Duke’s Land Rover Freelander on the A149 on Thursday. Both police and palace have emphasised that the investigation will be conducted in the same way as any other traffic accident, despite one of the involved parties being married to the Queen. That process would see him interviewed in the coming days, before police officers recommend whether to proceed with charging anyone involved. The scene of the crash, on the A149 at Sandringham The Duke has already passed an eye test as part of the investigation, celebrating by defiantly driving himself around the public roads near to Sandringham alone less than 48 hours after the accident. He was caught on camera driving in dark glasses without wearing a seatbelt, in a gesture that has been criticised by onlookers. A spokesman for Norfolk Police said: “We are aware of the photograph. “Suitable words of advice have been given to the driver and this is in line with our standard response when being made aware of or receiving such images showing this type of offence.” The law states that drivers can be fined up to £500 if caught without a seatbelt. The Duke of Edinburgh drives the Queen and Barack and Michelle Obama during their visit to Windsor Credit: Geoff Pugh If the Duke was found to be at fault for the Sandringham accident, he could be charged with driving without due care and attention, which carries a maximum penalty of nine points on a driving record and a £5,000 fine. It is thought unlikely that a prosecution would come to court. A police source said yesterday that non-royal drivers involved in a similar collision would more likely be offered a drivers’ awareness course, with improving their motoring skills considered more in the public interest than a court case. The Duke reportedly said "I'm such a fool" after being pulled from his wrecked Land Rover Freelander on Thursday after it flipped on its side following the collision with a Kia close to Sandringham. Witnesses claim he had told police at the scene he had been “dazzled” by the low sun at 2.45pm. A spokesman for Norfolk Police said: “As is standard procedure with injury collisions, the incident will be investigated and any appropriate action taken.”

Carlos Ghosn awaits his fate as a Tokyo court prepares to rule on his bail request after the ousted Nissan boss vowed to remain in Japan if released and offered to provide more collateral. "As the court considers my bail application, I want to emphasise that I will reside in Japan and respect any and all bail conditions the Court concludes are warranted," Ghosn said in a statement released by his US-based representatives. A spokeswoman for Ghosn, Devon Spurgeon, said his family had already rented an apartment in Tokyo where he promised to reside while awaiting trial.

As the partial government shutdown continues, air safety has become a top concern as the number of TSA agents not showing up for work grows. Some airports experienced longer wait times at security checkpoints, and on Sunday, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport closed one of its checkpoints because of excessive absences.

An Illinois girl died after a snow fort collapsed on her on Sunday while she played near her church. The girl, whom the medical examiner's office identified as 12-year-old Esther Jung of Elk Grove Village, had dug up a fort with a nine-year-old girl in a snowbank near Rothem Church in Arlington Heights. The girls were with their parents attending church services when they decided to go outside and play.

One month into the longest-ever funding impasse in modern American history, there is little evidence to suggest that Donald Trump and congressional Democrats will come together to end the government shutdown anytime soon. Over the past 31 days, Washington politicians have squabbled as the impacts of the shutdown have piled up. Then came the threats to government services such as food stamps and housing subsidies.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel on Monday claimed responsibility for a series of airstrikes on Iranian military targets in Syria, drifting further away from its longstanding policy of playing down or covering up its military activities in the war-torn country.

China's population grew at a slower rate last year despite the abolition of the one-child policy, official data showed Monday, raising fears an ageing society will pile further pressure on an already slowing economy. China's government raised the limit to two children in 2016 to rejuvenate the world's most populous country, which has nearly 1.4 billion people, and experts say it may remove the cap next year. "Decades-long social and economic transformations have prepared an entirely new generation in China, for whom marriage and childbearing no longer have the importance as they once did for their parents generation," said Wang Feng, a sociology professor at University of California, Irving.

Several thousand people marched through major Australia cities on Sunday calling for safety for women after an Israeli exchange student was murdered in Melbourne. The marches, part of the Women's March rallies held around the world in support of women's rights, gathered some 3,000 people in Sydney, who in their chants demanded safe streets for women in Australian cities. Aiia Maasarwe, 21, was killed when walking home after a night out with friends in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, earlier this week.

Anastasia Vashukevich, the model who recorded a former employer of Paul Manafort allegedly discussing US relations with a Russian deputy prime minister during the 2016 election, has promised in a Moscow court not to release any further recordings. Ms Vashukevich previously claimed to have evidence of Russian interference in the US election from a fling with Oleg Deripaska, the metals magnate to whom Donald Trump's campaign manager Manafort reportedly promised private briefings, something Deripaska always denied. Video she uploaded to Instagram showed Mr Deripaska speaking on a yacht in 2016 with Sergei Prikhodko, a deputy prime minister and long-time aide to Vladimir Putin. In a separate audio recording, Mr Deripaska is heard discussing Russia's “bad relations with America”. The pair talked about the “issue with America,” Ms Vashukevich had claimed. After her Instagram posts were discovered in February 2018, Ms Vashukevich was arrested while leading a sex training seminar in Thailand, and Mr Deripaska successfully sued Ms Vashukevich for violating his right to privacy with her photographs and recordings. A Russian court ordered her to delete the posts and pay him £5,800 in emotional damages. She and her partner from the sex training received a suspended sentence for soliciting and conspiracy last week and deported to Belarus, their native country. On her way there, they were arrested in a Moscow airport on Thursday. They face prostitution charges carrying up to six years in prison. After being led by bailiffs into a glass defendant's cage on Saturday, Ms Vashukevich asked Mr Deripaska's forgiveness and promised no more revelations. Ms Vashukevich was deported by Thailand and arrested at Moscow airport Credit: Vasily Maximov/AFP “There won't be any more audio recordings about Oleg Deripaska,” she told journalists from a glass defendant's cage. “I won't compromise him anymore, so he can relax, really, I've had enough." She claimed that she was now subject to "fabricated" criminal cases in Thailand, Russia and Belarus. Ms Vashukevich declined to comment when asked by The Telegraph if the prostitution charges against her were related to claims of Russian election interference. The court delayed a hearing on her confinement until Tuesday after investigators said they didn't have enough evidence to make their arguments. Mr Deripaska has denied interference and said he never received an offer of private briefings. He is under US sanctions, but sanctions against some of his companies are set to be lifted this week despite controversy in congress. Mr Deripaska is seen speaking to Mr Prikhodko in footage posted by Ms Vashukevich Credit: Instagram The meeting on the yacht took place in August 2016 off the coast of Norway, according to an investigation by opposition activist Alexei Navalny. A private jet linked to Mr Deripaska had flown between New York and Moscow and then to Norway in the previous days, Mr Navalny found. Manafort, who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and agreed to cooperate with Robert Mueller's investigation into election interference, told a Russian acquaintance he could offer private briefings to Mr Deripaska the month before, according to emails seen by The Atlantic and other publications. Russia ordered YouTube to take down Mr Navalny's video investigation, but it is still available and has more than 8 million views. While in jail in Thailand, Ms Vashukevich claimed to have more than 16 hours of audio recordings and photographs providing evidence of Russian interference in the US election. She promised to provide the evidence if the United States gave her asylum. Miss Vashukevich in detention in Thailand Credit: JORGE SILVA/REUTERS Ms Vashukevich told CNN she witnessed Mr Deripaska meeting three Americans in 2016 and 2017 and said “they had a plan for the election”. She said she had photographs of one of the Americans with Mr Deripaska, but refused to name any of the men. CNN also reported FBI agents had unsuccessfully tried to see her in Thailand.

Donald Trump is currently pondering how to deliver his second State of the Union address to Congress with the US government mired in its longest shutdown in history. House speaker Nancy Pelosi asked the president to postpone his speech on 16 January and suggested he submit it by letter, a manoeuvre Republicans were quick to brand “political” and which appeared to provoke Mr Trump into denying Ms Pelosi’s congressional delegation the use of a military plane to visit troops in Afghanistan. The address is still scheduled for 9pm EST on 29 January at the time of writing, with the president tweeting: “Nancy, I am still thinking about the State of the Union speech, there are so many options – including doing it as per your written offer (made during the Shutdown, security is no problem), and my written acceptance.

Central Athens turned into a sea of people holding blue and white Greek flags as thousands came from all over the country to rally against the accord to name the ex-Yugoslav state North Macedonia. Many Greeks believe the name Macedonia implies a territorial claim over their country's own northern region of that name. The issue evokes strong emotions among Greeks who consider Macedonia, the ancient kingdom ruled by Alexander the Great, to be an integral part of their homeland and heritage.

Agence France-Presse will cut 95 jobs over the next five years, 30 fewer than announced in October, without affecting targeted savings, CEO Fabrice Fries said Monday. Presenting a revised version of his "transformation plan" to employee representatives, Fries said the company would still save 14 million euros ($15.9 million) on wage costs and five million euros on other expenses by 2023. To achieve this, management will convert 15 of the current 175 expatriate postings into local jobs and realise savings through replacing senior employees with younger ones.

By Abdul Matin Sahak MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Dozens of families displaced from their homes in the northern province of Sar-e Pul by Taliban pressure have arrived in the provincial capital, as the insurgents have tightened their grip around the city, residents and officials said. Taliban fighters have been threatening oil fields around the city of Sar-e Pul as they have stepped up operations with the apparent aim of strengthening their position during peace talks with U.S. officials. ...

Donald Trump has again confused weather with climate change, suggesting the US would benefit from “a little of that good old fashioned Global Warming right now” amid forecasts of snow and cold conditions. Large parts of the Country are suffering from tremendous amounts of snow and near record setting cold. In November, Mr Trump conflated seasonal weather with climate change, suggesting chilly conditions meant global warming wasn’t real.

The heir to Saudi Arabia’s monarchy, widely known as MBS, has so far largely dodged any reprisals against himself, with President Donald Trump opting in November to impose sanctions against 17 lower-level Saudis implicated in the murder following global outrage. “We have to deal with bad people, but we don’t have to have special relationships with bad people,” Graham told Bloomberg News.

Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday she would seek further talks with Brussels to try to salvage her Brexit deal, but was accused of offering nothing new to break the political deadlock just 10 weeks before Britain leaves the EU. MPs last week roundly rejected the divorce terms May agreed with the bloc, raising fresh fears that Britain could crash out with no deal on March 29.

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon used an Arab economic summit on Sunday to call for the return of Syrian refugees to safe areas of their war-torn country, where the nearly eight-year civil war is still underway despite a recent series of government victories.

In Binged, Mashable breaks down why we binge-watch, how we binge-watch, and what it does to us. Because binge-watching is the new normal.
* * *
Binge-watching is basically an endurance sport, so you need to be sure you're prepared. After all, if you're going to watch You until your eyes fall out (recommended), why not make the experience as pleasant as possible?
That means paying close attention to the conditions under which you watch: the couch, the temperature, the vibe, and (most importantly) the snacks.
Some hot tips:
## 1\. Assemble your snacks before the binge-watch begins
To truly maximize your experience, I recommend selecting one salty snack, one sweet snack, and one wild-card snack. Some suggestions from my colleagues, whose tastes range from great to truly horrifying:
* Takis
* Sno-Caps in popcorn
* Uncrustables
* Plain Lay's chips and Greek yogurt
* Chocolate-covered pretzels
* Trader Joe's olive oil popcorn
* Literally a ham-and-cheese sandwich dipped in orange juice (cursed)
* Celery and peanut butter
* Peanut butter straight from the jar
Note: you can always sub in pizza for any category (or all three).
## 2\. Keep no less than three beverages in front of you at all times
One of the beverages should be water. For the other two, I like to choose a large, gulp-able beverage -- like Gatorade or, if I am feeling brave, seltzer -- as well as a fancy, small beverage, like a blood orange San Pellegrino or one of those high-end lemonades with cursive lettering on the bottle.
SEE ALSO: Watching your favorite TV show a million times isn't compulsive. It's a comfort binge.
## 3\. Get up every hour to stretch
You don't have to do a full yoga class, but it's nice to remind your body that it is, in fact, capable of movement.
> Netflix: are you still watching?
> Me: pic.twitter.com/yUbJ6KjVct
>
> -- sara reinis (@SaraReinis) March 7, 2018
## 4\. Consider the two-blanket approach
I have radiators in my apartment and do not control my own heat, which means that sometimes my living room is 1,000 degrees. This is too hot. If I open the window, though (see #7), it becomes too cold. That's why I prefer to have two blankets near me when I binge-watch: one thick blanket for the cold times and one thinner cotton blanket for the medium times. During the hot times, I use no blanket at all.
## 5\. Consider your spinal column
If you need to bring a bed pillow onto the couch for back support, so be it. If you're binge-watching in bed, consider acquiring a backrest pillow. Maybe one ... with a cupholder?
## 6\. If you're watching a show featuring heavy subject matter, take more breaks
While there is certainly no shame in binge-watching, it can have adverse effects on your mental health -- especially if the show you choose deals with emotionally fraught topics. In these cases, treat yourself to a few more breaks than you normally would. We're not saying go outside (imagine!), but maybe do a few more stretches, check in with your friends, and drink some extra water.
## 7\. Open a window
Let your binge-watching farts (different than regular farts) fly freely into the atmosphere.
## 8\. Text people about what you're watching
If you do not have a binge-watching partner literally sitting next to you, it can be fun to live-text the show with a fellow binge-watcher in another location. It also reminds you that you have friends. Crucial!
What you should not do, however, is send texts about the show to someone who has not seen the whole show yet. Avoid committing this friendship crime at all costs.
> When Netflix freezes to ask if you're still watching and you see yourself reflected in the screen pic.twitter.com/tDdSSN6PR5
>
> -- Philip Ellis (@Philip_Ellis) February 16, 2018
## 9\. Switch positions
When you have a nest, you have a nest, so switching rooms isn't necessary. But alternating between sitting up and lying down, or even just lying down on the other end of the couch, can be kinda nice. After all, lying down in a second location is a fun twist on lying down.
## 10\. Respect the air
If you've chosen some really good snacks (and also haven't left the couch for six hours), the room can start to smell a little ... rank. That's when it's time to light a candle.
On the off-chance Gilmore Girls is your binge-watch, there is a Gilmore Girls candle designed to burn in tandem with the 2016 revival. There are also Stranger Things-themed candles. Or you could just burn a regular one. It's your binge-watch, after all!
## WATCH: Netflix is raising its prices
##

A magnitude- 6.7 earthquake hit the coast of north Chile, causing buildings to shake and fears of a possible tsunami. It reportedly caused homes to rattle, as well as minor damage to old buildings and power outages in the nearby coastal city of La Serena – a popular beach town about 250 miles north of Santiago. Chilean mining group Antofagasta Plc said operations were continuing as normal at its Los Pelambres copper mine following the nearby earthquake.

JERUSALEM (AP) — In an extraordinary statement, the Israeli military confirmed early Monday that it attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, hours after carrying out a rare daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport.

Ireland will not engage in bilateral talks on Brexit and will only negotiate as part of the 27 remaining members of the European Union, Ireland's European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee said on Monday. The Sunday Times reported British Prime Minister Theresa May was seeking a treaty with Ireland to remove the contentious backstop arrangement, and a member of the Northern Ireland party backing her in parliament said on Monday that direct talks between his party and the Irish government would be helpful. "What we can't do and what we won't do, because we have not throughout this entire process, is engage in any kind of bilateral negotiations with the DUP or any other political party in Northern Ireland or the UK.

Tesla has secured approval from regulators to sell its Model 3 cars in Europe, in a move that will bring it in direct competition with the likes of BMW, Volkswagen and Peugeot in their home market. Dutch vehicle authority RDW approved Tesla's request to sell the most affordable of its electric cars on Monday, meaning that British customers can order the car from next month. Production of right hand driving vehicles, the standard in the UK, is not due to start until mid 2019. The announcement comes days after chief executive Elon Musk issued a letter to all of his employees, describing 2018 as "the most challenging in Tesla's history". In the same letter, Musk said he had "no choice" but to reduce full time employee headcount by 7pc and retain only the most critical temps and contractors. "There isn't any other way," he said. Workers will now focus on producing a cheaper version of the Model 3 in an attempt to boost sales. Shipments of Model 3 vehicles to Europe and Asia are expected to generate a profit for the company in future, Musk said. Tesla's Model 3 is currently priced at over $35,000 (£27,200), has a range of 220 miles and a top speed of 130 mph. The model first went on sale at the end of 2018. Tesla was forced to push back its production targets last year when it failed to hit the 5,000 vehicle a week target by the end of 2017.